HIGH TIBIAL OSTEOTOMY USING A LOCKING TITANIUM PLATE WITH OR WITHOUT AUTOGRAFTING

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Biomechanical engineering
• Regenerative medicine

Background:

• High tibial osteotomy (HTO) is a surgical procedure to correct knee alignment.
• Autologous iliac bone grafting is sometimes used to enhance bone healing in HTO.
• The use of locking plates in HTO aims to provide stability and potentially reduce complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare clinical and radiological outcomes of HTO with and without autologous iliac bone grafting.
• To evaluate the impact of bone grafting on knee scores, bone healing, and weight-bearing time after HTO.
• To assess the role of locking plates in mitigating complications associated with bone grafting.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 63 knees from 58 patients (aged 46-59) undergoing HTO with locking open wedge osteotomy plates.
• Patients were divided into two groups: HTO with autologous iliac bone grafts (n=31) and HTO without bone grafts (n=32).
• Clinical and radiological data were collected preoperatively and at multiple follow-up points up to 1 year.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed between groups in radiological assessment, deficit correction, patellar height, bone healing time, or weight-bearing time.
• Both groups demonstrated significant positive changes in knee scores (p < 0.001).
• Locking plates effectively eliminated comorbidities associated with autografts.

Conclusions:

• HTO using locking open wedge osteotomy plates yields comparable results with or without autologous iliac bone grafting.
• The use of locking plates in HTO obviates the need for bone grafting and prevents associated complications.
• This approach enhances knee function and recovery without compromising surgical outcomes.